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It’s baaaaack! The spring Target car seat trade in 2024 is about to begin. In this article you’ll find everything you need to know about the Target car seat trade in April 2024, including event details and the best deals (scroll down for those).
Updated April 13, 2024
There are thee reasons why I love the Target car seat trade-in.
- Expired and crashed car seats get out of family’s cars and garages (without being passed on to other families who don’t realize the dangers)
- The plastics are recycled instead of winding up in a landfill
- Families can get a fantastic, new, safe car seat at a fraction of the price
If the 2024 Target Car Seat Trade-In doesn’t have what you need, check out current best car seat deals!
Quick Picks: Hottest Deals of the April 2024 Target Car Seat Trade-In
If you don’t want to read the details or browse through all the deals, here are my favorite deals for this trade in round (prices include 20% trade in discount and additional discounts where available):
🔥🔥 Evenflo Revolve360 Extend – regular price $400, on sale for $218
One of the most popular rotating car seats on the market and rear faces to 50lbs or 48″
🔥 Chicco Fit360 – regular price $400, on sale for $256
A brand new rotating car seat option, bringing Chicco’s reputation for exceptional ease of use
🔥 Graco Extend2Fit 3-in-1 – regular price $250, on sale for $150
This is the most compact convertible car seat front-to-back as long as your child is beyond the newborn stage, rear faces to 50lbs
🔥 Graco 4Ever DLX – regular price $300, on sale for $200
Solid long-lasting convertible car seat that will fit newborn into elementary school
🔥 Graco TriRide 3-in-1 – regular price $170, on sale for $113
🔥 Graco Turn2Me – regular price $400, on sale for $240
Well-regarded rotating car seat, cheaper than the last trade in!
🔥 Britax One4Life All-in-One – regular price $350, on sale for $224
Fantasting long-lasting seat with a 50lb rear facing limit and great fit all the way though high back booster mode
What is the Target Car Seat Trade-In event?
Every year, Target provides families the opportunity to offload their old car seats in exchange for a discount on a new one. They’ll take pretty much anything – dirty seats, expired bases, booster seats that were in an accident. You name it, they’ll take it as a trade in.
When you bring your car seat to the store and deposit it in the box in front, you get to scan a shiny new 20% off coupon into your Target Circle app. For the April 2024 Target car seat trade-in event, they will allow two discounts per account. You can use your coupon either in store or online and most major baby gear is eligible.
Even better, the Trade-in coincides with the major Target baby gear sale! That 20% off coupon goes even further when you use it to buy a great car seat that’s already on sale.
NEW FOR APRIL 2024! Check your personalized offers in Circle, as many people have a one-time 10% discount available.
Want to save even more money? Open a Target Red Card to get an additional 5% off of everything you buy at Target. It’s free, and if you’re like most parents it’ll save you a ton of money. Another handy benefit for car seat buyers is that you’ll get an extra 30 days for returns – that’ll help you figure out if it’s the right car seat for your family’s needs. Find out more here.
To be sure you’re getting the best deal, make sure you double check Amazon’s sale prices, Walmart Rollbacks and Albee Baby (which offers monthly coupons for 20% off most brands). They usually match Target’s discounts, so if you don’t have an old car seat to trade in it might end up cheaper.
When is the Target Car Seat Trade In 2024 event?
The first Target Car Seat trade-in for 2024 starts Sunday, April 14 and ends Saturday, April 27.
You can use your Target 20% off coupon either in-store or online for several more weeks (until May 11), so even if you aren’t sure what replacement car seat you want to buy right away that’s ok!
That said, you’ll get the best deal if you buy during the concurrent sale. During past trade-in events some of the hottest deals have gone out of stock within a few days, so it’s worth shopping early in the sale if you can.
What are the best car seats at Target that you can buy with your coupon?
While the simplest option is to walk into your local Target store and choose from the selection on the shelf, I’ll let you in on a little secret… Target.com has a much larger selection of nice car seats than many store locations. You’ll find all brands and colors online!
Choosing a car seat is like choosing a pair of jeans: everyone needs something different. You’ll want to be sure you’re getting a car seat that fits your child, fits your car, fits your budget and that you can use correctly every time.
On the budget front, the good news is that there’s also a big Target car seat sale running during the trade-in! If you choose a seat that’s on sale and stack your coupon on top, you’ll be able to get a much nicer car seat than if you walked in the store on a random Saturday in May.
It’s also worth cross-checking prices on Amazon, Walmart and Albee Baby as they often try to match Target’s sale prices.
While we wait for the 2024 Target car seat trade in deals to go live, check out the best deals from the previous trade in for an idea of what to expect. The prices below are NOT current but I will update as soon as the deals begin.
Check out this list for some of the best car seats at Target to buy with your car seat trade in coupon (prices listed are after coupon):
Target infant car seat top picks
🔥 Chicco Keyfit 30 ClearTex – regular price $230, on sale for $165
Includes chemical-free cover
🔥 Graco SnugRide SnugFit 35 DLX with Safety Surround – regular price $230, on sale for $155
Graco SnugRide SnugFit 35 – regular price $170, on sale for $115
🔥 Evenflo LiteMax – regular price $140, on sale for $100
Doona car seat stroller – regular price $550, on sale for $440
Target travel system top picks
🔥 Chicco Bravo travel system – regular price $450, on sale for $323
🔥 Evenflo Pivot Modular travel system – regular price $320, on sale for $230
Includes Evenflo SafeMax infant car seat, an excellent seat but not for compact cars
Note on Graco travel systems: Yes, I know they’re affordable and the stroller options are great. Unfortunately all of the ones sold at Target come with the SnugRide Lite car seat which doesn’t fit newborns well without some extra adjustments. If you really want a Graco travel system, this one is a great deal when you use coupon APR20. You can also get it here.
Target convertible car seat/all-in-one top picks
Kids should stay rear-facing until at least 2 years old, and ideally to the limits of their convertible car seat. All of the car seats below are great for extended rear facing until at least 4 years old and will last most kids until 6 years (or beyond) forward facing:
🔥 Britax One4Life All-in-One – regular price $400, on sale for $256
🔥 Chicco OneFit ClearTex – regular price $300, on sale for $192
Chicco NextFit Max – regular price $300, on sale for $192
🔥 Graco Extend2Fit 3-in-1 – regular price $250, on sale for $150
Graco SlimFit3 LX – regular price $280, on sale for $224
One of the best car seats for 3-across in 2022
🔥 Graco SlimFit 3-in-1 – regular price $220, on sale for $134
NOT ideal for 3-across but a fantastic deal
🔥 Graco TriRide 3-in-1 – regular price $190, on sale for $115
🔥 Graco 4Ever DLX – regular price $330, on sale for $200
🔥 Evenflo Revolve360 Slim – regular price $330, on sale for $238
Brand new seat and a great deal! One of the narrowest car seats on the market and rear faces to 50lbs or 48″.
Target harnessed booster car seat top picks
A harness booster seat, or combination seat, is a toddler car seat for kids ~3 and up. It starts as a forward-facing harnessed car seat and then turns into a booster seat. Some become highback booster seats, and others later become backless booster seats as well.
🔥 Chicco MyFit ClearTex – regular price $230, on sale for $165
Longest-lasting harnessed car seat
Graco Nautilus 2.0 LX – regular price $190, on sale for $144
Graco Nautilus with Safety Surround – regular price $210, on sale for $151
Evenflo Maestro Sport – regular price $100, on sale for $72
Target booster seat top picks
Booster seats are appropriate for kids who meet the minimum height and weight requirements and are mature enough sit correctly all the time. For most kids that at least 5 years old, but some kids aren’t ready for a booster seat until 6 or even 7 years old. Don’t rush this step!
Chicco KidFit ClearTex Plus – regular price $110, on sale for $79
Chicco KidFit Adapt Plus – regular price $130, on sale for $104
Britax Highpoint – regular price $200, on sale for $152 (extra discount on gray)
Graco TurboBooster 2.0 – regular price $60, on sale for $36
🔥 Graco TurboBooster LX with Safety Surround – regular price $83, on sale for $50
🔥 Graco Affix – regular price $90, on sale for $62
Chicco GoFit Plus backless booster – regular price $60, on sale for $43
Graco TurboBooster LX backless booster – regular price $41, on sale for $26
Target deals on travel car seats
Are you looking for a car seat specifically for travel? Here are some of my favorites that are on sale at Target during the trade-in event:
Doona car seat stroller – regular price $550, on sale for $440 (ages birth-1.5)
Evenflo Sonus 65 – regular price $120, on sale for $86 (ages birth-6)
Gray is cheaper than red
Graco Contender Slim – regular price $160, on sale for $121 (ages birth-6)
Evenflo Maestro Sport – regular price $100, on sale for $72 (ages 3-9)
Safety 1st Grand – regular price $80, on sale for $51 (ages 3-6)
Graco RightGuide – regular price $50, on sale for $34 (ages 6-12)
Going in and out of stock, but currently available here
Need help choosing a travel car seat? Read about all your options to find the right one for your family!
–Best travel car seats for infants
–Best travel car seats for 1 year olds
–Best travel car seats for 2 year olds
–Best travel car seats for 3 year olds
–Best travel car seats for 4 year olds
–Best travel car seats for 5 year olds
–Best travel car seats for 6 year olds
–Best travel booster seats
Target car seat trade-in 2024 FAQs
Yes! The first 2024 Target car seat trade in will run from April 14th to April 27th.
You can bring as many car seats as you want for recycling! Each Target Circle account can load the coupon one time. You can then redeem the Target car seat trade in 20% off coupon twice for a new baby gear item.
Absolutely. In fact, Target encourages customers to use their coupons online so that the stores won’t be too crowded and to help manage inventory. Their car seat selection is also much better online – scroll up to see my top car seats at Target. The best way to use your car seat trade-in event 2024 coupon is online.
The best option is to trade in your car seat at Target to score a discount on a new one. If the Target car seat exchange not possible for your family, you need to make sure someone doesn’t find your expired car seat on the curb and pick it up to use – or sell. Yes, this stuff happens.
Unfortunately, you basically have to destroy an expired car seat if you aren’t bringing it to a recycling program. Cut the harness and take a sledge hammer to the plastic shell. If you happen to replace your old car seat with the same model (which we did after our infant car seat was in an accident), you may be able to keep the fabric seat cover to re-use; contact your manufacturer to see if they’ll approve it.
Some states also offer car seat recycling programs, which you can read about here.
There were Walmart car seat recycling events in late 2019 and early 2020. The Walmart car seat trade in programs were so popular that they had to be shut off early, and disposal of car seats has been delayed by the coronavirus pandemic and new regulations from China. It’s not clear if Walmart will continue the program but as of this writing they haven’t announced another round. Walmart’s car seat trade in program also wasn’t as generous as Target’s, so I would stick with the Target program unless something major changes.
Unfortunately there’s no Amazon car seat trade-in 2024. I doubt there ever will be, to be completely honest.
The best times to buy a car seat at Target are during the Target car seat trade in (usually April and September) or Black Friday/Cyber Monday.
Want to avoid the common car seat mistakes that so many parents make? Grab a copy of my e-book to make sure your kiddo is riding safely!
I missed the event at Target 🎯 for the expired car seat in September 2020. Actually we just got it from a online yard sale. So my question is…
Does Target still take expired car seats year round or just on the event?
Thank you inadvance
Hi Lorraine,
Unfortunately Target does not take used/expired car seats year round. Your options are either to hold on to it until the next trade in (which is usually held in the spring, it was just delayed to fall 2020 because of COVID) or get rid of it now. If you choose to get rid of it now, please cut the harness straps and enjoy taking a sledge hammer to the plastic shell so that another family doesn’t find it and use an expired seat.
Best of luck!
Melissa
When’s the second car seat exchange for 2021 ????????
Hi Anna,
I’m sorry you missed the spring trade-in! The Target car seat trade in for fall 2020 was essentially a rescheduling of the spring 2020 Target car seat trade in because of public health concerns. We don’t know yet if they’ll do a Target car seat trade in for fall 2021, but if so it will likely be announced a week or two in advance. You can sign up here to join my email list and be the first to know when I have more information!
Safe travels,
Melissa
Is the coupon we receive for our trade in good on backless booster seats? Or just infant and convertible car seats?
Hi Christina,
Thanks for stopping by! You can absolutely use it on a backless booster seat, but most people don’t go that direction because the price savings aren’t as substantial. But as the mom of two “big kids” I completely understand. If it’s back in stock during the trade-in I whole-heartedly recommend the Chicco GoFit Plus, which we’ve used happily for many years. We also like the regular Chicco GoFit – it’s the same seat but without lower anchors, so ideally you’d buckle it when it’s not occupied to avoid it becoming a projectile. You could also look at the Diono Solana 2; it’s a nice seat and GREAT for kids at the top end of the growth chart, but the downside is really small cup holders.
I hope this helps, and happy shopping!
Melissa
If I turn in two car seats, and receive two 20% off coupons can I use both coupons on purchase of one new car seat?
Hi Darla,
Happy trade-in day! Unfortunately you can’t “stack coupons” for the Target car seat trade-in event in September 2021. You can use one coupon per item.
Safe travels,
Melissa
Do you know if the target 20% off coupon will work on the Graco 4ever DLX model? I’ve noticed discounts for this particular model doesn’t work on other sites (including graco).
Hi Heather,
Thanks for stopping by! The Graco 4Ever DLX is a great price right now if you have a trade in – right around $200. Target doesn’t have any exclusions for this promotion, which is pretty amazing. Let me know if there’s anything else I can help you with.
Safe travels,
Melissa
Does the coupon work for the travel
Systems?
Hi Kari,
It sure does! Above you’ll see some of my favorite travel system deals of this week.
Safe travels,
Melissa
I can’t seem to find the second trade in event in the fall for 2022 as the April one already passed and it’s almost fall. I need a new carsest for my daughter asap.
Hi Monica,
Thanks for stopping by! You’re in luck – the fall 2022 car seat trade-in begins TOMORROW 🙂 I’ve just added a few deal previews and will update the rest in the morning.
Safe travels,
Melissa
Hi Melissa,
Where are exclusions listed? Is the Doona excluded from this promotion?
Hi Sydney,
Great news! Doona is included in the trade-in discount 😎 You can grab yours here for $440 plus tax – a little cheaper if you have a RedCard.
Safe travels,
Melissa